Pakistan, China express firm commitment to protect CPEC from ‘detractors, adversaries’: FO

ISLAMABAD
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is in China for an official visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar accompanying the Prime Minister.
This was said by , FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while addressing weekly press briefing here Friday.
She said this morning Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held delegation-level talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The two leaders reaffirmed that Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership was characterized by mutual trust, shared principles and strategic convergence. They also expressed the unwavering support to each other on core issues.
The two leaders expressed continued commitment and support for the high-quality development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and timely completion of all ongoing projects. The two sides also expressed their firm commitment to protect CPEC from its detractors and adversaries. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan.
The two sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, including strengthening institutional linkages at all tiers and in all spheres of bilateral cooperation. Pakistan and China will also continue to consult closely on issues of regional and global significance and multilateral fora, especially during the two-year tenure of Pakistan as non-member of UN Security Council.
The delegation level talks were followed by an MoU signing ceremony, where 23 MoU’s and agreements were signed on deepening cooperation in transport infrastructure, industry, energy, agriculture, media, health, water, socio-economic development and others of mutual interest.
Since his arrival in China the Prime Minister has held several meetings with Chinese investors and businesspersons to discuss and explore investment opportunities in Pakistan. In these meetings and events, including the Business Conference in Shenzhen, the Prime Minister has encouraged Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan and develop joint ventures. A number of MoUs have been signed with Chinese businesses in economy, green energy, textiles and manufacturing.
The Prime Minister will later travel to the city of Xi’an where he will hold meetings with the provincial leadership and business leaders in agricultural and green energy sectors.
Pakistan was elected yesterday as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2025-2026, receiving an overwhelming support of 182 members of the UN General Assembly.
We are grateful to all members of the UN General Assembly for their confidence in Pakistan and electing it as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. We are also grateful to the members of the Asia-Pacific Group for endorsing Pakistan’s candidature for the Council.
Pakistan’s priorities at the Council would include: Just and peaceful resolution of outstanding and ongoing disputes; Opposing the resort to unilateral and illegal use or threat of use of force; Combatting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; Support for effective UN peacekeeping, peace enforcement and peace-building efforts; Resolution of regional and international crises; and lastly, Democracy, transparency and accountability in the decisions and deliberations of the UN Security Council.
Pakistan looks forward to working closely with the other members of the UN Security Council and with the broader UN Membership for upholding the UN Charter and pursuing the vision of preventing war and promoting peace; fostering global prosperity and promoting universal respect for human rights.
Pakistan strongly condemns the horrific bombing of Israeli forces on the UNRWA run Al-Sardi School in Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza that led to multiple deaths of mostly women and children. This attack is another crime in a series of attacks against civilians including an IDP camp last week that resulted in deaths of 45 Palestinians.
The deliberate targeting of civilian population and facilities is a grave violation of international law and constitutes war crimes.
Pakistan also strongly condemns the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by hundreds of Israeli extremists under the protection of Israeli police forces. The reprehensible act violates decades-long international agreements and international norms on respect for religious sites.
Under international law, it is responsibility of the occupation authorities to respect religious sites. Israeli occupation forces should therefore ensure the security of Al-Quds. We reiterate our call for urgent and unconditional ceasefire, for an immediate end to the massacre of the civilians and to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.
The human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continue unabated. There are reports that a Kashmiri civilian, Mr. Imtiaz Ahmed Pallah, was tortured to death this week at a police station in the Pulwama district of IIOJK. This is not the first incident of its kind. Over the last three decades, the number of custodial deaths in IIOJK has exceeded seven thousand. The perpetrators of these crimes should be held accountable.
Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.
We express our deepest condolences and sympathies with the government of Tunisia and the family and friends of Tunisia’s Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Borhene El Kamel on his sad demise. He lost his battle with cancer yesterday; Ambassador Borhene El Kamel was a sincere friend of Pakistan who made important contributions in promoting Pakistan-Tunisia relations. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi have expressed their condolences on the sad demise of Ambassador Kamel.
An upcoming visit announcement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will undertake a one-day visit to Istanbul, Türkiye to attend the Extraordinary Meeting of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers.
The meeting is being held to discuss the “Situation in Gaza” at the initiative of the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Türkiye Hakan Fidan. The D-8 Foreign Ministers will deliberate upon the shared responsibility of the international community to bring an urgent and unconditional ceasefire, and an end to the inhumane and unjustified war on the people of Gaza.
The Deputy Prime Minister will present Pakistan’s stance on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the urgency of an unconditional ceasefire, lifting of the siege and humanitarian relief for the Palestinian people. He will also call for unified international efforts to bring an end to the war being waged against the people of Gaza and the war crimes being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces.
On the sidelines, the Deputy Prime Minister is also expected to meet the Foreign Ministers in attendance.